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AIMExpo 2016: Day 2

Friday at the AIMExpo was all about the gear for me. I love looking for new gear, even if it's not going to work out for me personally.

Probably the coolest new pieces of kit I saw were REV'IT's new Sand 3 jacket and Scorpion's new Covert helmet.

The Sand 3 jacket - this one in a fantastic blue color - looks rugged and even though it's aimed more at the adventure rider, its feature set is such that pretty much anybody will dig this jacket. The eye-catching thing about it is the built-in mounting point for the Go Pro camera; the mounts can be used for just about anything though, including REV'IT's neck brace. The Sand 3 is more than just an update of the Sand 2, it is to some extent a rethink/redesign of the model. It also features a two-part liner, one part that's quilted for warmth and another part that's waterproof to keep you dry. Very cool jacket.

Over at the Scorpion booth, Edward Wilkinson, their director of development, gave me a demo of their new Covert helmet.

I love the true modular nature of the helmet and even though the sun visor isn't rated for impact resistance, it's a neat feature. Turns out Edward is as big a fan of science fiction as I am and he drew some inspiration for the Covert from the helmets used by the Mobile Infantry in the film Starship Troopers.

Another sci-fi influenced helmet is the EXO AT950. Picture it with a gold reflective visor and let me know if you figure out the inspiration!

Here's a bunch of other stuff I saw that is really cool and is either in shops or will be soon!

Neat new helmet from Shark with four integrated LEDs that can stay on steady (5 hrs) or blink (10 hrs) and be recharged 5,000 times.

Boots from Bates Footwear. They have long held military and law enforcement contracts are are getting into the powersports industry with boots that are sharp looking - and many of them are made in the USA.

BRAND NEW HELMETS FROM KLIM! The flip-front will retail at $599 (yes, $599); the full face and ADV will be $549 and I think I heard (I may be wrong) that the motocross helmet will be just $299. Lots of high tech wizardry here.

iXS may be new to the States, but they've been putting out great gear for years, including their newest jacket (with dual-layer liner system) and two sets of track-oriented leathers.

GIVI (pronounced with a soft 'G') USA showed off their ADV pannier system and dry bags.

I missed who makes these superhero helmets, but found them at the MotoAmerica booth.

Check out Cycle Stretch for helmet (and ball cap) bags that stretch, protect and bungee directly to your bike with built-in cords and clips. Not only that, but the bags fold, roll and store in attached pockets. Very compact and a great idea from this New York company.

Ohlins ... of course!

EVS makes sharp-looking and high-functioning neck and knee braces along with other safety gear.

Scorpion's new high-tech waxed cotton jacket and pants.

Neat alternative to big-name tool chests here with Stor-Loc. The drawers can hold up to 400 lbs (I saw a dude standing in one!) and the half-width drawers are modular. Find you're using the deep drawer more ofter? Reconfigure the drawers to put the deep drawer on top instead of on the bottom. Neat idea and not as expensive as you'd think.

Cool transparent tank protector from OneDesign - they also make covers for fuel caps and ones that prevent scratching from keys on triple clamps.

Neat retro helmet from Bell. Perfect for you Triumph, BSA and Norton riders.

MotoNation's under-clothing armor system includes these shorts, but also long pants and a variety of shirts. Great idea and well implemented.

To round things off, here's more gear from REV'IT, who I think is making some of the best stuff available these days. The boots are waterproof and have a very cool twist-to-close function that snugs the whole thing around your foot with aircraft-grade coated cables.

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